1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container equipped with a device enabling a beverage to be absorbed in a hygienic manner preventing the consumer from placing his lips on an eternal portion of the container, and more particularly to the device for extracting a straw from the container.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Numerous containers are commercially available; plastic bottles, glass bottles, metallic cans, cardboard packagings, which can have various shapes allowing for the packaging of any type of liquid food products.
These various containers have the disadvantage, for the user, of being either unhealthy when one wishes to drink straight from the container, or impractical depending on the shape and size of the neck, or the very shape of the container itself.
In the particular case of metallic cans and cardboard packagings used for diverse and varied beverages, such as beers, sodas, fruit juices, or milk, they are very unhealthy. Indeed, from the locations where they are produced, after the beverage has been packaged, they are transported and unloaded without any specific hygienic measure, and then sold to the consumer by a retailer who stores them without any particular hygienic precaution and handles them manually. During these various manipulations, various microbes, viruses, bacteria or dust can be deposited on the walls of the container, which are ingested by the consumer when he places his lips on the container.
Furthermore, in the particular case of metallic cans, and independently of hygiene related problems, the consumer can be hindered when drinking the beverage by problems of ill-timed flow, which most often leaves stains on his clothes.
In order to avoid these disadvantages, the invention proposes to resolve these practical and hygiene related problems by simple and inexpensive measures, by way of a device for automatically extracting a straw located within the container.
Thus, according to its main characteristic, the device for automatically extracting a straw arranged within a container, such as a cylindrical can provided with an opening device, for example, is characterized in that it comprises:
a straw-supporting element mobile between a free position in which the straw which it supports has its end in the orifice of the container opening device and a locked position in which the end is arranged within the container, the straw-support being constituted of an arm bearing at its end, a mechanism for retaining the straw and being furthermore articulated on a piece, whereas the intermediate piece has a peripheral edge arranged between the upper wall of the can and its peripheral wall in order to be gripped therein by crimping.
According to an additional characteristic, the device has a mechanism for biasing the straw-supporting element that is adapted to bias the latter from its locked position to its free position.
According to additional characteristics, the device has a locking mechanism adapted to lock the straw-supporting element in its locked position, and an unlocking mechanism adapted to release the supporting element from its locked position.
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is noted that the unlocking mechanism is constituted by a secondary unlocking arm, whereas the intermediate piece and the supporting arm are obtained all in one piece, forming a single and same plastic piece that has a certain elasticity.
According to another characteristic, the intermediate piece is in the form of an annular ring.
According to a complementary characteristic, the device for automatically extracting a straw according to the invention is characterized in that the actuation of the container opening device controls the actuation of the releasing device which release the straw-supporting element.
According to another characteristic, the straw-supporting element comprises a supporting arm provided with straw-retaining device at its end, the arm being articulated between its free position and its locked position on an independent intermediate piece affixed to the container.
According to the preferred embodiment of the device for automatically extracting a straw according to the invention, the biasing device for stressing the straw are constituted by the articulation of the straw-supporting arm on the independent intermediate piece and/or by the arm itself, and are obtained due to the flexibility and elasticity of the material used to make the arm, the piece, and the articulation which connects them.
According to an embodiment of the device for automatically extracting a straw, the locking device comprises a secondary locking arm which has, at its end, an assembly of abutment surfaces adapted to cooperate with complementary support surfaces carried by the straw-supporting element when the latter is in the locked position.
According to this embodiment, the releasing device comprises a releasing lug carried by the secondary locking device and adapted to cooperate with the container opening device to cause the displacement of the secondary arm toward an extreme release position in which its abutment surfaces no longer cooperate with the complementary support surfaces of the straw-supporting element.
According to a complementary characteristic of the device for automatic extraction according to the invention, the straw-supporting element, the biasing device, the locking and releasing device comprise a single piece called the independent intermediate piece.
According to the preferred embodiment of the device for automatically extracting a straw according to the invention, the independent intermediate piece is in the form of an annular ring adapted to be arranged beneath the upper wall or cover of a container in the form of a cylindrical can.
According to this embodiment, the intermediate piece comprises a sealing device adapted to make it possible to obtain sealing between the cover and the peripheral wall of the can, the sealing device being adapted to be implemented during assembly.
According to the invention, the device for automatically extracting a straw from a container comprises a straw-supporting element movable between a free position and a locked position, the straw-supporting element comprising an arm bearing at its end a mechanism for retaining the straw and being articulated on an intermediate piece, the intermediate piece having a peripheral edge arranged between an upper wall of a container and its peripheral wall in order to be gripped therein by crimping. The device further comprises a mechanism for biasing the straw-supporting element from its locked position to its free position. Additionally, the device comprises a mechanism for locking the straw-supporting element in its locked position. Furthermore, the device comprises a device for unlocking the supporting element from its locked position. The unlocking device may comprise a secondary unlocking arm. The intermediate piece and the supporting arm may comprise a single plastic piece that has a certain elasticity. The intermediate piece may be in the form of an annular ring.
A further aspect of the invention resides in having in combination, a container having an interior, a device for opening the container, the device for opening having an orifice, a straw arranged in the interior of the container, the straw having a first end, and a device for automatically extracting the straw from the interior of the container, the device for automatically extracting comprising a straw-supporting element movable between a free position in which the straw first end is in the orifice and a locked position in which the first end is arranged in the interior of the container, the straw-supporting element comprising an arm bearing at its end a mechanism for retaining the straw and being furthermore articulated on an intermediate piece, wherein the intermediate piece has a peripheral edge arranged between an upper wall of the container and its peripheral wall in order to be gripped therein by crimping. The combination may further comprise a mechanism for biasing the straw-supporting element from its locked position to its free position. Furthermore, the combination may comprise a mechanism for locking the straw-supporting element in its locked position. Moreover, the combination may comprise a device for unlocking the supporting element from its locked position. The unlocking device may comprise a secondary unlocking arm. The intermediate piece and the supporting arm may comprise a single plastic element having a certain elasticity. The intermediate piece may be in the form of an annular ring.
Yet another aspect of the invention resides in a method of automatically extracting a straw from an interior of a container having an interior and including a device for opening the container, the device for opening having an orifice, a straw arranged in the interior of the container, the straw having a first end, and a device for automatically extracting the straw from the interior of the container. The method comprises moving a straw-supporting element between a free position in which a first end of the straw is in the orifice and a locked position in which the first end is arranged in the interior of the container, the straw-supporting element comprising an arm bearing at its end a mechanism for retaining the straw and being furthermore articulated on an intermediate piece, and crimping a peripheral edge of the intermediate piece peripheral edge between an upper wall of the container and its peripheral wall in order to be gripped therein. The method may further comprise biasing the straw-supporting element from its locked position to its free position. Furthermore, the method may comprise locking the straw-supporting element in its locked position. Moreover, the method may comprise unlocking the supporting element from its locked position.
Furthermore, the invention also relates to a container for beverage, of the type comprising a device for automatically extracting a straw, such as those described hereinafter.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description that follows, with reference to the annexed drawings which are only provided by way of non-limiting examples.